Chapter XI - Some Objections Answered
Fruitless worship
352:1
proof that it was heard, because they did not sufficiently
proof that it was heard, because they did not sufficiently
understand God to be able to demonstrate His power
to heal, – to make harmony the reality and discord the
unreality.
Spirit the tangible
352:5
Our Master declared that his material body was not
Our Master declared that his material body was not
spirit, evidently considering it a mortal and material be-
lief of flesh and bones, whereas the Jews took
a diametrically opposite view. To Jesus, not
materiality, but spirituality, was the reality of man's ex-
istence, while to the rabbis the spiritual was the intangi-
ble and uncertain, if not the unreal.
Ghosts not realities
352:12
Would a mother say to her child, who is frightened at
Would a mother say to her child, who is frightened at
imaginary ghosts and sick in consequence of the fear:
"I know that ghosts are real. They exist,
and are to be feared; but you must not be
afraid of them"?
352:17
Children, like adults, ought to fear a reality which
Children, like adults, ought to fear a reality which
can harm them and which they do not understand, for
at any moment they may become its helpless victims;
but instead of increasing children's fears by declaring
ghosts to be real, merciless, and powerful, thus water-
ing the very roots of childish timidity, children should
be assured that their fears are groundless, that ghosts
are not realities, but traditional beliefs, erroneous and
man-made.
352:26
In short, children should be told not to believe in ghosts,
In short, children should be told not to believe in ghosts,
because there are no such things. If belief in their reality
is destroyed, terror of ghosts will depart and health be re-
stored. The objects of alarm will then vanish into noth-
ingness, no longer seeming worthy of fear or honor. To
accomplish a good result, it is certainly not irrational to
tell the truth about ghosts.